life, love, & all the craziness in between…

Our Love Story

I was thinking of all the different posts I wanted to share that had to do with how much I love my husband, John, and while I thought of many great ones, I realized I have never taken the time to write down our love story….

John and I met through a mutual friend in September of 2005, my freshmen year at Longwood University. I was dating someone at the time, but we were in a long distance relationship so on weekends when he wasn’t visiting all of my time was devoted to my friends. I had a very close-knit group of friends in college, consisting about 50/50 of girls and guys. There weren’t many of us that dated, we were just all super close – spent birthdays together, sat for hours doing papers and homework together, watched movies, took road trips, visited each others’ families, met up each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We genuinely loved one another and I could fully rely on any and every person in my group of friends. I think because John and I met through a mutual friend and we both immediately were part of this tight knit group that friendship was the furthest our thoughts ever went.

This group of friends stayed strong for all four years I was at Longwood. And as fate would have it, John changed his major and was there an extra year…

My senior year of college I broke up with said boyfriend because we were at such different places in life. We had different hopes and dreams and respectfully decided to end things.

That same year I was finishing my teaching degree and was completing my student teaching semester at a local school. Many people did this semester in their hometown at a school they were familiar with and as a way to save money, but the program wouldn’t accept my placement since I’m from a rather desolate location. And honestly, that was fine with me! I loved my college town and my apartment and was more than content to stay where I was for one final semester.

As the semester drew to a close and graduation neared, the principal told me about an upcoming teaching vacancy in the county. I thought about it and it didn’t take long for me to decide to apply. I loved the school where I was placed and wouldn’t have minded being an official resident in my college town. (A “townie” as we so unlovingly called those folks haha) I applied and was offered a job within two days. I accepted.

Just three and a half short months later, my dog and I got our first official home – a two bedroom apartment, with some pretty questionable neighbors, and I couldn’t have been happier! I had my dog (and soon after got a kitten), a half-way decorated house using stuff from my parents’ house, my college apartment, and Walmart, and the job of my dreams. Some afternoons after I’d get home from work and walk my dog, I’d be a bit bored though. Aside from writing lesson plans, grading papers, and cleaning my apartment, I didn’t have much going on. John was still living in this same town as well because he was finishing up one final class and was in the middle of a lease with a few other roommates. He worked at a local Ruby Tuesday as a bartender so one night I decided to go have dinner there. I contemplated not going since I would have to sit alone, but I figured that I wouldn’t look like too much of a loner since I knew the bartender. (Or maybe that made it even worse?! haha) Anyway, I went and had a quick dinner, chatted with John, watched some sports, chatted with some random person also sitting alone at the bar, and went home.

A few weekends later I was going out of town and couldn’t bring my dog. I asked John if he minded watching him since he lived in a house with a yard and he actually had a dog of his own. Thankfully, he didn’t mind. On Sunday when I returned I hung out for a bit with he and his roommates because I didn’t want it to look like I was just using him to watch my dog. (I’m just being truthful y’all)

As weeks and months ticked past I started eating at Ruby Tuesday more. I really needed interaction with other adult humans, not four-legged creatures or fifth graders. Our exchanges while he worked turned into texts and phone calls and then dinner dates that he could actually participate in. We would get together to let the dogs play. We started hanging out on Sundays (his one day off) and while he watched football, I worked on lesson plans.

One morning in late spring I was getting ready for Longwood’s graduation. A few of my friends that hadn’t finished classes in time, walked at this ceremony instead of the one I’d been part of the year prior. I’d had a friend that was also attending stay with me and a bunch of us from my college group of friends were getting together for the festivities. (John included). I grabbed a sundress out of my closet and walked in the bathroom to do my makeup and curl my hair. I remember it so vividly. I slipped into the dress and while I was working on my hair and makeup I realized that I was trying to impress John. I literally screamed and my friend came running in. I was like “oh my gosh, I like John!” Thinking back now, I laugh and laugh, but I truly felt like I’d been blind-sided. Here was this guy that I’d known for years and really did love and trust, but never knew I was actually busy falling in love with him!

And honestly, from there, the rest is history….

Happy Valentine’s Day, my husband!

Thank you for doing life with me, every single day!

{Photos from our Valentine’s Photo Shoot two years ago with Cynthia Tenney. These photos were actually part of our pregnancy announcement shoot with her}